"Oh, no, don't worry about it," Hitomi replied, perhaps a bit too quickly. She wondered if there was a way she could prod Alex about what he was without letting it slip that she knew more than she was supposed to, especially considering how sensitive seemed about it. She probably should have let it rest, but she couldn't help a bit of curiosity.

...She had an idea. A tiny one, but an idea all the same.

"Well, since it's coming up so soon, something simple would probably be the simplest. Why don't you do an animal of some sort? I'm thinking about doing a rabbit." She gave a sly grin. "I bet you'd make an adorable fox."

He was quiet for a moment, not knowing at all how to respond. Had she heard something from someone? He hadn't told anyone about the... whatever it was, but some of the professors knew, and he was aware some people could see odd things. That couldn't be what that tone and grin was for, though; it didn't make sense. So what was it?

"Maybe a bit on the nose? I could imagine you as a rabbit, though. Little white ears and a plate of rice cakes, or something."

Jaymie looked at Hitomi, then at Hitomi, then back at Alex. Something had happened- and he was desperately curious what Hitomi had seen. Maybe if it wasn't too bad, she'd tell him later?

He was also beginning to remember that they really needed to actually start the paper in the next day or so, and went back to flipping through the reference book in front of him. "Well, I'm gonna be a kaiju," he said with a hairflip and an exaggerated air of pride. "I don't do simple. Totally behind the bunnygirl idea, though. You can do a lot of stylish things with a basic idea."

"What is this about bunnygirls and where can I sign up to be involved?" Blaise, like he so often did, butted into the conversation with no preamble. "Is this about Halloween or just in general?"

Blaise dropped into the seat next to Alex and slung his feet up on top of the table. "Please tell me this is a joint thing between you and your brother, because I would pay good money to see him dressed as a bunny."

Then, seeming to notice Alex for the first time, Blaise turned and beamed at him. "Well hello there. I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting you yet, though I'm sure my good friends Hitomi and Jasper here have mentioned me. Blaise Des Rosier Park, foster son of the headmistress."

Alex watched Blaise with a growing expression of amusement. He shook the other boy's hand and gave him a sly grin.

"I'm afraid they haven't. Shame, you seem memorable; I guess you'll just have to tell me everything yourself." He gave the other two a brief glance, checking their reactions. Jaymie looked like he was carefully plotting vengeance, or possibly hadn't heard the insult, Alex didn't quite catch. "Maybe start with something simple, like how much money, and is it because he's quiet and a little sulky or because he's cute?"